Do We Still Need Optical Drives?

Most computer companies have decided that not having an optical drive in their laptops is a good thing. Do you agree, or do you sometimes find yourself looking for an external optical drive for that one program you need to load via a disc? I figured that because most things can be downloaded online, that’s why most companies don’t put optical drives in their systems anymore – but I was wondering if there were other reasons.

In addition to your reasoning for the downloadable files (which can also be updated as often as needed versus burning new disks), 5 inches square by ? inch high is a lot of space to take up in a laptop, especially when it doesn't do anything most of the time. Every manufacturer seems to require a slightly different tray style (even in their own models), so you can't even swap them between systems the way you can in a full PC using standard full-size CD/DVD drives. An external USB drive can be connected to anything with a USB port, and I've started doing that for new server builds rather than adding an internal one to the build anymore.

It would be nice if someone could develop a conversion kit to turn a DVD bay into 2 more HDDs/SSDs!

I always thought reason companies don't want optical drives is to prevent booting to an alternate OS which can allow circumvention of any security measures on the PC - and that they do not want end users copying company data to a disc.

Anytime I need to load a program from a disc (which is rare), I'll load up Daemon Tools Lite and mount an ISO image as a local drive.

Nice idea Mike, it makes more sense to store data on a HDD/SSD than a potentially wasteful CD/DVD-ROM, how many times have you burned data onto a CD DVD-ROM that only took up a fraction of the discs total capacity?

How reliable are CD/DVD-ROM discs? I have some older discs that just don't read reliably anymore.

I have all my files, ISO's and utilities on a portable HDD so instead of carrying around a case with lots of CD/DVD's I carry a 2.5" portable HDD. There are quite a few programs to allow you to create multi-ISO bootable USB drives: Xboot, Yumi, Multisystem, Sardu. I also have a backup of this HDD.

I can't remember the last time I "ripped" a CD or DVD to ISO, all of the ISO's I have were downloaded or I created myself. There are a few rare instances I need a disc, but that tends to be on old hardware where booting from USB isn't catered for. But in a short time these will become Obsolete, or will just die and require replacement.

I would never want one without a dvd drive. Just too many times I use it. Yes, I could get an external. Then it is hanging off taking up space, using up the usb ports. No, I would not purchase a laptop without one.

Dear,
Most of company they produce laptop without CD-Rom for one purpose only
which is to have lighter laptop and utilize the CD-Rom Space for something
else
now with USB can do everything for you
- you can boot from USB
- you can connect external CD-Rom
- and you can incremented

Question?
When you need CD-Rom? or how often your using CD-ROM?
For me 1ns every month or two and sometime never ==> for personal use
for Business you need once to convert it to your magic boot USB

We've found that the lack of a CD/DVD drive is not a hindrance for our
users. Our nurses are being migrated to Ultra-Thins and have no need for
one. In addition to the comments so far, another reason for not
needing/wanting one is that I can do just about everything with a USB
thumb drive and, on very few situations, an external DVD drive.

I do, however, disagree with the comments about servers. I have and will
continue, to insist on an optical drive on any server I order (along
with dual Ethernet cards and power supplies).

I'm currently writing this on a Windows 8.1 10.1" tablet. Since this is a
full blown operating system, with the deficiencies of lacking a hard
drive and a CD/DVD drive, for expanded use, I depend on using these drives
with the use of the USB port included in the this tablet. It allows me the
full capabilities of a desktop, or a laptop computer. Also am also using a
wireless USB mouse and full sized keyboard
for my typing needs.

The capability of using a DVD/CD device, allows me to also use a different
operating system, such as Linux, if I so need or desire to do so. The
CD/DVD that I would use for an alternate OS, would be in the form of a
"live Linux". If I want a permanent alternate OS in a hard drive, I simply
plug into the USB port, a USB 1TB hard drive. The OS had been installed
into the hard drive, using a small USB hub, with the CD/DVD drive, and the
hard drive, plugged into the hub.

Seeing that all the devices are all separate items, it makes it easier to
pack and travel with them. I simply bring with me the items that I really
need for the travel. This makes it a more compact package, than a bulky
laptop.

Without these available arrangements, I would never have bothered to buy a
tablet. Tablets on their on, have too little storage capabilities, and
video memory. They need help to make them really useful.

I don't depend totally on the Internet to get some work done, and I don't
cherish having to depend on cloud storage, and paying for this service
forever and ever.

One other thing! I was amazed that when I activated Windows, It
automatically found and activated a connection to my network HP Printer. No
manual setup was necessary. The tablet talks to a wireless Linksys Access
Point. The output of the Access Point uses a CAT-5 cable, going to the a
switch, and then to the router.

I hope that this gives you an idea of alternate ways for using devices
which lack built-in storage, or DVD capabilities. With a USB port, a small
USB hub, and USB capable peripheral devices, anything is possible.

Everybody has their own way of getting things done. With a virtual-first policy for new servers, an ISO library is needed for any build I do. And since practically any rackmount or blade server made in the last decade can do virtual media through iLO/DRAC/BMC/CIMC (and USB boot), it's just as easy to mount an ISO to physical gear as needed, without having to make coasters all the time. For the 1U servers that don't have a DVD drive option, I have an external BackPack USB DVD that works quite well.

I have an optical in my laptop and never use it. I have no interest in
having one any more.

As for servers, I realized long ago that I was wasting money on optical
drives since I only ever used them for setup. I bought a $30 external USB
and haven't bought an internal since. On the rare occasion I need a drive
on the server I just plug in the external.

I remember when I got my first Netbook. The weight, for traveling, was great. Loading programs forced me to go to one of my towers (or other laptops) and copy the setup CD contents to a USB drive or share one of those CD/DVD drives to run the setup.

Why the trip down memory lane?

Its about convenience.

Light weight has a place ... having options is important.

I have no problem with ultralights, hybrids and the like not having optical drives ... I just have to plan my workaround if something currently available on optical media is involved.

I wouldn't want to be without an optical drive somewhere if I needed it.

A HDD is a good idea, but an SSD is less durable than an optical disk
(although the gap is closing regularly)

There are things where optical disks are still useful, especially for disk
recovery, etc. So I carry around a portable optical drive with some DVDs
that I use for recovery, but most of what I need resides on hard drives.

Optical drives are very useful in audit scenarios and for permanent
archiving, where change is not desired.

I have 5 boxes full of archived data on DVD-R. I can read all just fine.
Nowadays, I have started burning BD-R (BluRay) media which is 25GB per disc.

Plus, Connectivity cannot be taken for granted everywhere.

That's one reason why physical media beats online content too. I can go to
my summer home in the middle of the hills (with lousy EDGE service, no
reliable 3G) and still take vast amounts of content with me on a tiny bag,
and no concern about physical shocks or falls as happens with external hard
drives.

This is an issue I have been thinking about for a while. If you are serious about LONG-TERM back-ups. YES. They make 100 yr Guarantee DVD's for Long Term Storage. Not sure who will still be around in 100 yrs to check?

On-line storage is the obvious take over?.if you trust all your family History Business Information backed up in someone else's hands. I learned by the rule "Save Early, Save Often, Save Many!" I have an external Slim Liteon drive that works for all OS's. IMG BURN software!

With XP toast on 4/14/2014 making a PE Build of XP's final System Update would be smart.

It's easy to claim your product will last 100 years, few who are old
enough to purchase anything will be around in 100 years and even fewer
warranties transfer to your descendants. It's an unenforceable warranty,
and a huge red-flag to me against purchasing from any company that would
offer an unenforceable warranty.

I think we should review best practice with regard to data storage on a bi-annual cycle and if a better method is available and budgets allow, migrate data to that method of storage. I'm sure it won't be long before CD/DVD/BDR are redundant, keeping an old station alive for backwards compatibility.

I had a guy call me because he couldn't boot from USB to install XP I had to explain that its because the BIOS didn't have that option, it was an old system; shows how old the system was, so he 'Had' to use a CD to install with.

> Yeah, but at what cost? Flash drive is the way to go. You won't have to
> carry any player around, and throughput is much greater.
>

I learned the hard way not to trust flash media. A single hickup and all
your data is gone (in my case it was a standalone TV media player, which
was left powered on and in direct sunlight with a flash thumb drive
connected to it). Apparently the excessive heat made the Flash memory go
belly up. To the point that the flash drive was unrecognized next time it
was plugged into a pc.

The only "solution" to save the drive (not the data on it) was to go to
some obscure Russian site that holds the manufacturer flasher for known
brand name pen drives and "factory format" the unit.

I think what we can all take from here is that any storage plan one decides to undertake should be a multi-pronged approach, given the inherent strengths and weaknesses in any storage media.
None of it is infallible
Sony & Panasonic are coming out with 1TB optical storage discs soon, and the discs will "last 50 years"

FC - "...Although the latter can be killed by bad management as is often the case... " I haven't seen this happen enough of late. Way too many huge banks around that shouldn't be, they have stellar management, lol.